Rose of Thorns
by ThePQ4
Summary: Severus Snape gets in a spot of trouble with the wizarding world, and is sent to work as a Chemistry teacher for muggle's with wizard parents (it explains it better in the story). Alzan is a witch who attends the school. She catches intrest in Severus...
1. Chapter One- You know my name...what's y...

Rose of Thorns  
  
Prologue.  
  
"But, Albus, I don't want-"  
  
"Severus, right now you have no say in what we do with you." Albus Dumbledore spoke gently, "You go and teach for the Muggle/wizard School freely…its only a year. Other wise, you sit in exile."  
  
"But Headmaster!" Severus complained.  
  
"Severus! You have gotten us deeper into this war! I would not complain! I would count my blessings, that I am not dead…when I say that, I mean you."  
  
Severus sighed, "I don't even know anything about chemistry."  
  
"Yes you do, Severus." Dumbledore nodded, "What do you think Potions is?"  
  
"Are, not is."  
  
"Maybe you should be the language teacher instead."  
  
"At least I know a little about language. Chemistry! Pah! I know nothing about Muggle chemistry!"  
  
"You will, Severus. The other professors will help you out. The students will understand. Many of their wizarding parents are involved in this war… It will be a comfort to have some one as involved in this battle as you around."  
  
"Pah!" Severus sighed, "I don't think so!"  
  
"Severus…Please? Just try. For me, for the other professors?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Severus crossed his arms. He did not want to teach fool muggles, who did not carry on wizarding genes from one or more parents, or step parents. Lauder Academy was a school for muggles, with wizarding ties…such as those who had mothers, or fathers who were wizards, or witches, who had married muggles, and not been wizards or witches themselves. Lauder taught these menaces their muggle course classes (i.e. Language art, chemistry/science, arithmetic), and a few wizarding classes, like history.  
  
"I'll go…" Severus whispered, "But on one condition."  
  
"What's that, Severus?"  
  
"If after Christmas holidays, I don't like it, I can exile myself."  
  
"Severus…don't exile yourself, just because-"  
  
"Albus, I've caused this war to continue…I leaked information, because I let some fool hearted woman addle my brains. I deserve exile. We could have ended this long ago."  
  
"Severus Snape…are you giving up?"  
  
"No."  
  
Dumbledore looked down at him, "Good. Because I have never seen you as someone who gives up easily…" He stood, and took a train ticket from his desk drawer, "Your train leaves tomorrow at noon."  
  
__  
  
Chapter One  
  
Severus stepped out of the muggle car, uncomfortably clad in muggle jeans, and long sleeved sweatshirt. He carried his luggage with him.  
  
"Have a nice stay at the academy, Professor!" Tito, his driver, and ex- student at the school called merrily after him.  
  
Severus forced a smile, "Thank you."  
  
"If you walk up to them 'old gates, someone will be rushing' out ta greet ya. I'm-ah park the car over-"  
  
"I understand, Tito…I'll be fine." Severus nodded.  
  
"Yes sir, Professor." He nodded.  
  
Severus stared up at the looming school. It was located on the outskirts of London, with a lovely front yard, with a looming fountain. He supposed it must look fantastically scary at night.  
  
"Professor Severus Snape, I presume?" an uptight looking lady, clad in a long grey skirt, and a starched white dress shirt appeared near the gate, pushing a button on the side wall to open it.  
  
"Yes." Severus stepped inside the gate.  
  
"Welcome to Lauder Academy…" She plucked one of the bags from his hands, while he pulled the strap of his duffle bag over his head, "I'm the Headmistress, Professor Thalia Benedict." She strode up a pair of stairs, "These five buildings are dorms. Two dorms are for the female students, two others are for our male population of students, and then we professors have our own. You, Severus, will have the room on the second floor, fifth room down. You will be next to Professor Alaric. He was our previous Chemistry teacher. He unfortunately will only be here long enough to train you as a substitute, before leaving…"  
  
"Why is he leaving?" Severus asked, as she pulled a large key ring from her pocket, flipping through them to find his room key.  
  
She paused to look at him, and then sighed, pulling his key from the ring, with out having to loop it through. Obviously she was a witch. All the professors were, "If you really must know, his younger brother is a werewolf. He's been having problems with his morphing. Their going to have him put down at the next change."  
  
"Oh." Severus took the key from her.  
  
"Severus…" Thalia tilted her head, "You need not be so uptight here…we're pretty…flexiable with the behaviour of our professors. The students will love you more, if you, perhaps, smile a bit. Show a sense of humor…"  
  
"I have not smiled in sixteen years, Professor-"  
  
"Call me Thalia. We're on a first name basis here."  
  
"-Thalia. I lost my sense of humor before I could even develop it. You will find no humor in me. Nor any heartwarming smiles."  
  
"Well, at least you still have sarcasm."  
  
__  
  
"Did you see the new professor?"  
  
The whispers rang around Lauder's version of a "Great Hall", and Alzan Lee sighed, rolling her eyes. They couldn't find anything better to do, but worry about some new Professor? How- and then she saw him.  
  
He sat, obviously uncomfortable, next to Thalia, who was explaining things to him. His sweatshirt was constrictive, and gave her a very good idea of what was underneath.  
  
"Alzan…" Gita, her friend, leaned over, "Stop looking at him like that!"  
  
"Oh shut up." Alzan sighed, looking down at her food. She was sick of muggles, especially the one sitting next to her. She was so…nosey! Gita had to know everything thing was going on… although…having a nosey friend could come in handy, "Gita…go over and ask him what his name is."  
  
"Me? No way!"  
  
"Gita, come on! I'll tell everyone you like Rick!"  
  
"You wouldn't…" Gita glared.  
  
"I would…"  
  
"Okay! Okay! I'll go ask him."  
  
Alzan smiled. It was so easy to get people do what she wanted. Then again, besides the Professors, she was the only other witch in the academy.  
  
Gita got up from the table, looking back at her every so often as she approached the teacher's table. Alzan urged her on with her eyes, until she saw her ask.  
  
"Hi…I was wondering-"  
  
"Gita, please do not bother-" Thalia started.  
  
"Thalia!"  
  
"You allow them to call you by your first name?"  
  
Alzan sighed. If she wanted anything done, she'd have to do it her self. She got up from the table. For some reason the hall suddenly became deathly quiet, except for a few first years, who were whispering.  
  
"Alzan…" Thalia nodded at her, "Do you need something?"  
  
"Of course not, Thalia. Just coming to collect the garbage." She rolled her eyes, taking hold of Gita's arm, "Sorry she was bothering you. I do try to keep her under wraps."  
  
"No problem at all, Alzan." Thalia shook her head, "Please…go eat. Both of you."  
  
Alzan turned to Severus, "You know my name, sir…May I ask yours?"  
  
Severus cleared his throat, "Ah…Severus."  
  
"Lovely." She smiled, "Come Gita." She pulled her friend along side of her. 


	2. CHapter Two-I want you to teach me Magic...

Chapter Two  
  
That night, Alzan and Gita sat in the lobby of their dormitory. Alzan was sitting on a couch, while Gita half watched a muggle program on TV, and finished a muggle history report on Napoleon.  
  
"So, what do you think of the new chem. teacher?" Gita asked, staring out one of the large glass windows, as she saw him cross the yard.  
  
"He's okay." Alzan shrugged.  
  
"You know…we should wear our good uniforms on Monday."  
  
"Why? He's just a chem. teacher."  
  
"I know you like him." Gita smiled, "And he has the dreamiest name!"  
  
Alzan rolled her eyes, "Whatever."  
  
Gita sighed, moving to sit down on the couch next to her friend, "I heard he taught Harry Potter."  
  
"Big deal. Harry Potter is bighead."  
  
"He was also the head of Slytherin, an ex-death eater, and he did spying for Albus-"  
  
Alzan sucked in a breath, "Gita. If you don't shut up, I will set your hair on fire."  
  
Gita sighed, leaning back on the couch, "Just trying to help."  
  
"I don't want you to help, Gita. I don't want your gossip rumors. I want the truth."  
  
__  
  
Severus sighed, kicking off the muggle tennis shoes he wore. He couldn't wait to get the stupid muggle clothing off either. He missed his dragon hide pants, and large robes, and his cloak. Being muggle was tiresome.  
  
He was particularily surprised when there was a brisk knock on the door. Who on earth could be calling at this hour? It was after all almost ten o'clock.  
  
"Good evening Severus." Professor Alaric Alarick (yes, his parent's were a bit boring when naming him) stepped in side of the room, after opening the door.  
  
"Um…Hello." Severus allowed him inside.  
  
"I heard you've already met Alzan."  
  
"For a few moments, yes." Severus watched the man circle the room, touching various knick knacks that had been located around the room when he had arrived.  
  
He paused, "I would advise you to stay away from her, Severus. She's trouble, that one."  
  
"Thank you for the input, Alaric, but I think I can take care of myself."  
  
Alaric crossed his arms, "I'm sure you are, Severus. I'm just giving you fair warning…that's she no were near being muggle. She's a witch, whither she knows the craft or not. Her father chose for her not to use her powers…perhaps that was dangerous on his part…but beware…She is very powerful."  
  
"Like I said. I can take care of myself."  
  
Alarick shrugged, "Whatever you will."  
  
Severus watched as the man walked from the room.  
  
__  
  
The next morning, a brisk knocking on the door awaked Severus; he looked at the clock. What crazy fool was waking him up at 6:30 in the morning?  
  
"Excuse me…Professor Severus?" The voice was softly sweet, "Could I have a word with you?"  
  
Severus chose not to reply. Perhaps the insane student would…go away? He could only hope for the best.  
  
There was another knock, "Excuse me…Professor…but if you don't open this door, you will give me no choice but to-" the voice was suddenly in the room, "apperate."  
  
Severus now groaned inwardly; as Alzan plopped herself down on the edge of his bed, behind him, "Remind me again…how old are you?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno…sixteen, seventeen, something like that. Anyway! I really need to talk to you."  
  
"Can't this way? It's not even seven."  
  
"Well, I'm awake at five."  
  
"Yes, well that's nice." He pulled the covers up over his head, but a few moments later found it difficult to breath.  
  
"Anyway." Alzan leaned on his hip, pushing her bony elbow into him, "Like I was saying, I need to ask you something?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I want you to teach me magic."  
  
"Then go to Hogwarts. I'm only a chemistry professor."  
  
"Severus! Your so much more then a chemistry professor! I'll bet you don't even know a thing ABOUT chemistry! You'll have us writing pages and pages of reports, and doing pages and pages of work sheets, because you-"  
  
"Go away." Severus pulled the pillow over his head, leaving a bit of space open for air.  
  
"No can do." She leaned down, putting her arms around him, pressing her cheek into his shoulder, "Please Professor? I'm begging you?" her please was long, and strung out.  
  
Severus sighed. His conscious told him to take no pity on the girl. That there was no way he could teach her magic. Hell! He wasn't even very good at it! Oh sure, the dark arts, and potions. IN those area's he was practically a genius! Other areas? Ha! Don't count on much! Of course…Severus rarely listened to his conscious, "Fine…But only if you stop touching me."  
  
"Thank you SO MUCH, Professor!" She hugged him tighter.  
  
"Hands off, please." He plucked her fingers from him.  
  
"Oh yes…" She sat up, "Sorry."  
  
"Alright…you've completely wasted a half hour of my life, and now I have to get up."  
  
"I apologize, Severus." Alzan smiled, leaning forward to hug him again, "Thank you SO much!"  
  
"You're welcome, but please stop touching me."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Yes, well…what day is it?"  
  
"Saturday." Alzan smiled more broadly.  
  
"Yes, well then…It's off to the Diagon Alley."  
  
"When do we leave?" Alzan seemed almost giddy to be going.  
  
"Give me enough time to shower, and dress…perhaps shave."  
  
"I like your five o'clock shadow." Alzan smiled.  
  
"Yes, will I don't like being coarse upon my face, so…if you would kindly leave-"  
  
"But-"  
  
"We won't be doing anything today, unless I shower."  
  
"Can I watch?" She mercifully flirted.  
  
"Miss…"  
  
"Lee. Alzan Lee."  
  
"Miss Lee…I am to be your chemistry professor. You are to be my student. The least amount of clothing we should see each other in, is perhaps a swim uniform, under odd…Anyway! We are NOT to see each other, under ANY circumstances, naked."  
  
"Your no fun." Alzan pouted, "Anyway, I'll leave, and meet you outside in…half an hour?"  
  
"Make it an hour."  
  
"How long does it take-"  
  
"Miss Lee…I am not a patient man. Please just get out."  
  
"I'm going!" She got up from the bed, and disappeared with a pop.  
  
__  
  
"I trust everything is in order, Mr. Snape?" the clerk goblin at Gringrott's bank asked, as the stood in front of his bank fault, which lucky for him was one of those on the ground floor.  
  
"Yes, sorry." He forced a tight smile, before sticking the key into the lock, and pulling it open. Next to him, Alzan tapped her foot impatiently. He sighed, shoving galleons, sickles, and knuts into his small coin bag.  
  
"That's it for now, thank you." He nodded curtly at the goblin, which then shut his vault, and re-locked it with the master key.  
  
"Now where are we off to?" Alzan asked, followed him closely.  
  
"Ollivander's."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"The wand shop."  
  
Alzan stopped, "I get a wand?"  
  
"Yes. And I don't understand how you can apperate without one."  
  
Alzan shrugged, "So, where is this Ollivander chap's shop?"  
  
"Last one on the street."  
  
"Aren't there other things we can stop and get on the way there?"  
  
"Well, we don't know how long it will take for a wand to choose you. My sister was in there for an hour-"  
  
"You have a sister?"  
  
"Yes." He replied, being quite short with her, "Anyway, she was inside for nearly an hour, before she got any reaction from any of the wands."  
  
"The wand chose her?"  
  
"You'll understand when we get there."  
  
A few minutes later, Severus pushed open a shabby shop, "Come along."  
  
"Ah…Severus Snape…" Mr. Ollivander stood behind the counter, "You bring a friend…Alzan…Lee?"  
  
"This IS Alzan…we're wand shopping. For her." Snape told the old man. For some reason, he always wanted to sell HIM a wand. He always told him, he was quite all right with the one he had.  
  
"I think I may have just the wand for you, young lady." He got down from behind the desk, and hurried over to the back shelf, and up a rickety ladder, pulling a very old looking box from the shelf, "Fourteen inches…oak…with a combination of Unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring. Very good for defense, I might say…" He lovingly handed her the wand.  
  
As soon as the wood touched her fingers, she felt a warmth flood through them, and a sudden shower of green, and gold sprouted from the end.  
  
"Bravo! I do love customers who know what they want!" He took the wand back from her, and boxed it, "What about you Severus? How is your wand? Do-"  
  
"My wand is fine, Mr. Ollivander." Severus nodded, "That will be all."  
  
"Seven galleons." Mr. Ollivander smiled at Alzan.  
  
She reached into her pockets for a handful of the golden coins, and counted out seven of them, "Where to next, Sevvie?"  
  
Severus rolled his eyes, while Mr. Ollivander looked on in amusement, "You will address me as Severus, or Professor Snape…Not Sevvie."  
  
"Alright Severus. Where to next?"  
  
"Flourish and Blotts." Severus held the door open for her.  
  
"What's there?" She asked, waving good bye to Mr. Ollivander.  
  
"Books."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Severus led her down the crowded street, and she followed him into the large bookshop.  
  
"Here is a list of books your going to need…I'll be over there." He handed her the slip of paper.  
  
Alzan watched him walk away, before looking down at the list. Most of them were beginner's spell books. She sighed, but went to find the books.  
  
Severus went off in the opposite direction, and began to look for a book on chemistry. Although he knew he would probably have had more luck in a muggle shop…Muggles annoyed him, so he dealt with them as little as possible.  
  
A few minutes later, Alzan stood behind him, and shoved a book in his face, "Doesn't this look like fun?"  
  
It took him a moment to comprehend what it was she was showing him. 212 Sexual Positions for Wizards and Witches.  
  
"Um...No." He brushed the book aside, "Where did you get that?"  
  
"In the erotic section."  
  
"I didn't know this store HAD an erotic section."  
  
"Well they do now."  
  
"Go put it back." Severus sighed.  
  
"Oh Sevvie…don't you like premarital bump-bumps?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow, amazed that he knew she was asking if he liked sex, "I've told you before not to call me Sevvie." He spoke the name with distaste.  
  
"Sorry about that." She smiled, "Don't you want to find the two hundred and twelve ways to have sex?"  
  
"There are three ways of having sex, Alzan. Thousands of positions to do them in."  
  
"How many to you know?" She asked, whispering in his ear.  
  
"I am NOT having this conversation with you."  
  
"I think you are."  
  
"Go put the book away."  
  
"No. I think I'll buy it."  
  
"I forbid you from buying that."  
  
"It's my money."  
  
"I don't care. As your PROFESSOR, I-"  
  
"I am buying it, Sev. Look at it as…a broadened sex ed. Class."  
  
"They have classes for that?"  
  
Alzan giggled, "Oh yea.." 


	3. Chapter Three- Luccie Malfory Makes an E...

Chapter Three  
  
A few minutes later, the two stepped out of Flourish and Blotts, Alzan having actually bought the book, much to Severus's disgust. She was paging through it, as they walked to the apothecary.  
  
"Mmm…that looks painful…" She shoved the book into his face.  
  
"Yes, it does…" Severus pushed the book away.  
  
"Looks like it would be fun to try though."  
  
Severus sighed, "Put it back in the bag."  
  
"Sure…" She stuck it into his bag, without him noticing purposely, and followed him into the shop, "It smells funny in here." She whispered.  
  
He sighed, "That's because it's the apothecary."  
  
"What do we need from here?"  
  
"Everything." He sighed, and began filling bags and things with items for her mini-potions classes.  
  
"Oh…" She followed him around, figuring he knew more about it then she ever would, "Where do we go after this?" She spied a jar of frog eyes, "Cool!"  
  
"Don't touch." He slapped her hand away, "Next we go to get a cauldron, because I neglected from bringing mine."  
  
"Oh." She nodded, and picked up a pickled toad, "Gross…"  
  
"Stop touching things…" He snapped.  
  
She sighed, and continued to follow him around the store, until they got to counter, and then she slid a ways away from him, to read some of the magazine titles, like "Potions Digest" and "Weekly Toads Eye" (which was another potions magazine).  
  
"Professor Snape…that…thing you ordered on your last visit. It came in last week." Severus was speaking with the clerk.  
  
"You kept it on ice, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes, it's back in the freezer right now."  
  
"Alzan, stay here. Don't touch anything." He whispered, as he passed, and followed the clerk to the back.  
  
She watched him, and then shrugged, turning back to the magazines.  
  
"Would you like to use it right away?" The clerk was asking Severus, "We always have a cauldron going for emergencies."  
  
"Yes…" Severus nodded, "I might as well."  
  
"Well, gather whatever else you might need…I'll go make sure there's everything in order in the cauldron room."  
  
Severus appeared, and noted Alzan sitting on the floor, reading Potions Weekly. A small smiled tweaked at his lips, and he went to gather the rest of his ingredients for the quick potion. A dragon's liver, snidget feather, a few dozen herbs, and fungi of the sort, along with one perfect serpent fang.  
  
The clerk held the door open for him, and pulled it shut behind him, "I'll watch your charge for you."  
  
"Thank you ever so kindly." Severus nodded.  
  
The clerk leaned on the counter. He was young, probably only about eighteen, or nineteen, golden brown hair, sea green eyes. His voice was soft when he spoke, "What are you reading?"  
  
"Potions Weekly."  
  
"Are you into potions."  
  
"I don't know." She stood up, placing the magazine on the counter, "What about you?"  
  
"I'm okay at potions…I never really enjoyed it though." He smiled.  
  
"Then how did you end up working here?"  
  
"I liked working with the ingredients…I never really cared for what they made though."  
  
She nodded, "I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing…I'm just following Papa Severus around all day."  
  
"He's your father?"  
  
She laughed, "No…it's bad muggle talk."  
  
"Oh." He nodded, and then held out his hand, "I should have done this before. My name is Tom."  
  
She smiled, "I'm Alzan."  
  
"How do you know…Papa Severus back there?" He asked.  
  
"He's my new chemistry teacher at Lauder."  
  
"Your muggle?" He asked.  
  
"No…" She shook her head, "I'm witch. My parents decided that they didn't want me to learn magic…more so my father actually. My mother died a few years back."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"No, it's okay…really." She shook her head, "Anyway, the Professor told me that he'd teach me magic, if I wanted to…So, here I am."  
  
Tom nodded, "Well, then I'm assuming that this is all yours?" He motioned to the bags of various ingredients on the counter.  
  
"Yea…why don't you ring it all up…put his on it too." She nodded back at Severus.  
  
Tom nodded, and began ringing up the items, "Five galleons, three sickles, and knut."  
  
She reached into her pocket, and withdrew the coins, counting them out, and poured them into his hand, "So…do you know what exactly he's doing back there?"  
  
"No…but I think it's fairly important…he had to ship one of the ingredients from Paris."  
  
"Probably some kind of-" She stopped herself, as Severus stepped outside, looking particularly pleased with him self, a vile in hand, with a pink liquid in it.  
  
"Are you done?" Alzan asked.  
  
"Yes, quite, my impatient one…where is everything?" He looked at the cleared counter.  
  
"She paid for it Sir. Along with the things you used for your potion." He nodded at the vile.  
  
"Ah…well…that will be all then, Tom. See you in a few weeks." Severus nodded.  
  
Tom nodded at him, and then spied the Potions Weekly that Alzan had been reading, "Alzan! You forgot your magazine."  
  
"I'll be right back, Sevvie." Alzan left him at the door. Severus sighed.  
  
"I'll be across the street." He rolled his eyes, and let the door close.  
  
"Thanks." Alzan took the magazine.  
  
"Look…if you come back with him later, or something, would you like to go to Florean's?"  
  
"What's Florean's?" Alzan asked.  
  
"The ice cream parlor…it's down the street a little ways…" He nodded.  
  
"Oh! I'd like that. I'll ask him about it the next time I know he's coming down." She nodded.  
  
"Okay." Tom nodded.  
  
"I gotta go…other wise he's going to get kind of antsy." Tom smiled, and watched her leave.  
  
Outside, Alzan quickly walked across the street, where Severus was looking at cauldrons.  
  
"That took you long enough…" He lifted her hand by the wrist, to look at the magazine in her hand, "Why did you buy that bit of trash?"  
  
"I thought it looked interesting…" She told him, "So…what exactly are we looking for?"  
  
"A brass cauldron…or pewter. Whatever you will. It doesn't really matter."  
  
"How about solid gold?" She picked up the cauldron, surprised at it's near weightlessness.  
  
"No…their bottoms are to thin."  
  
"Oh my lord! Your worried about thin cauldron bottoms."  
  
"Have you ever had a potion blow up in your face, Alzan?" He turned to her, "Of course…you will probably never be able to MAKE a potion that would do that…but still…"  
  
Alzan shrugged, "Well…Anyway…why don't we just take this one-" she picked up a nice looking copper one, and handed it to him, "And lets be going?"  
  
"What's your hurry?"  
  
"It's almost lunch time…and I forgot to mention it to anyone buy Gita we were going to be gone…so naturally the whole school is going to know."  
  
Severus sighed, "Yes, well…go inside and pay for it…I'll wait here." He watched her walk inside, and turned suddenly when he felt a hot breath on the back of his neck.  
  
"Picking them kind of young, aren't you Severus?" Lucius Malfoy asked, tilting his head to the side.  
  
"No…she's picking them kind of old, actually. I haven't touched her."  
  
"Pity…" Lucius shook his head, taking her in, as she flirted with the young man at the counter inside, "I would launched…"  
  
"Back off, Malfoy." Severus spoke curtly, "What do you want?"  
  
"Ah…well…I was just going to ask you…where are you working now? I heard you got kicked out of Hogwarts."  
  
"I did not get kicked out of Hogwarts. I chose to leave."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you did… Rumor has it, that your…teaching muggles at Lauder."  
  
Severus sucked in a breath, "What do you really want Lucius?"  
  
"Oh…so cruel, Severus…" Lucius sighed, breathing in his aura, "You really need to calm yourself."  
  
"Don't you have a wife or something you can be hanging on?" Severus pushed him away.  
  
"Oh, Severus…" Lucius laughed sarcastically, "Your so…so-"  
  
"Sev…" Alzan pushed the door to the shop open. "Are you ready…to…go?" She asked, looking at the two men, "I'm not going to ask what he's doing." She smiled at him, and took her bags from him.  
  
"Don't mind Mr. Malfoy…" Severus was looking straight at him as he spoke, "I think he's been hit a few to many times with curses…that's what happens when you work for the wrong people."  
  
"You should talk, Severus." Lucius came back at him, "You worked for us once yourself…"  
  
"Go away, Malfoy…Alzan and I have to be getting back to Lauder." He took her by the wrist and began leading her away.  
  
"Who is that?" Alzan tugged her arm free when they were well out of sight.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy. You'd do well not to deal with him."  
  
"He was kind of cute."  
  
"He's married, with a son."  
  
"Oh…How old is his son?"  
  
Severus sighed, "I thought you had made a date with Tom."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
Severus turned to her, and didn't answer the question, "Do you have a place to put all that?"  
  
"There's a class room in the basement I could put it…" Alzan nodded, as they walked back into the Leaky Caldron.  
  
"Oy! Severus! Would you like a spot of anything?" Tom, the barkeep, yelled.  
  
"Not this time." He called back, "Maybe later on."  
  
"You know…for someone who messed up as badly as you did, people sure do seem to like you."  
  
Severus sighed, "What do you know?"  
  
"I know that you messed up really bad in the war…" Alzan nodded, "Everyone does."  
  
"It wasn't my fault." Severus sounded out every single letter of every word.  
  
"I'm not saying that it was Professor…" Alzan shrugged, "Just that…why are people so…warm to you? Maybe it's just me…but I would expect them to…shun you."  
  
"Because they either don't know, or they don't care that I did it. They know it wasn't my fault."  
  
"I'm not sure about that…" 


	4. Chapter Four -No Classy Title.

Chapter Four  
  
Later that afternoon, Alzan opened the gate to the entrance of Lauder, "Sev?" (He'd given up on correcting her).  
  
"Yes?" He asked, handing her, her bags.  
  
"Can we meet tonight? For a first lesson?"  
  
Severus thought it over, "Not tonight. Tomorrow.after evening meal."  
  
Alzan nodded, knowing not to try and push her luck anymore, "Okay."  
  
"I'll see you later, Alzan." Severus began to walk in the opposite direction.  
  
"Severus!" Alzan stopped him.  
  
"What is it now?" He turned.  
  
"Look at page one-forty-two." She smiled at him, before making a run for the dormitory.  
  
He gapped at her for a moment, before opening his Flourish and Blotts bag. There was the book.clear as day.  
  
"Damn."  
  
__  
  
"So.did you look?" Alzan asked, when he returned the book to her the next day.  
  
"No, I did not."  
  
"Why not?" Alzan asked, pouting.  
  
"Because!" Severus slammed his hand down on the metal table.  
  
"Severus." Alzan put her hands on his shoulders, "I'm just mercifully flirting with you." She sighed, "Your should be-"  
  
"Disgusted?"  
  
"No!" Alzan sighed, "Anyway, you can't tell me you've never had a student with a crush on you before."  
  
"Never."  
  
"Oh really?" She asked, "Never?"  
  
"No. I'm cruel, and black hearted when it comes to teaching. My students are usually afraid of me."  
  
"Well, I'm not afraid." She whispered.  
  
"Maybe you should be." Severus whispered back.  
  
"You're just asking to be pounced upon."  
  
"You speak as though you were some kind of tiger, or she-wolf."  
  
"How about we stick to exotic cats? I find them a lot more sexy then dogs."  
  
"Fine. So.are you going to pounce upon me, like a lioness to her prey, or are you going to BE the prey, and let me make the first move?" Severus asked.  
  
"Oh.what am I, if I'm the prey?"  
  
"Antelope. You like to jump around a lot."  
  
A smile touched Alzan's lips, "How about a rabbit? You know how they just like to keep going.and going.and go.ing."  
  
Neither of then noticed how close their faces seemed to have gotten as they spoke, until their lips actually touched.  
  
"So." Alzan asked, "Who was the lion, and who was the poor old bunny rabbit?"  
  
"Tastes like chicken actually." Severus tugged gently on her bottom lip with his teeth, before releasing her.  
  
"So, I take it YOU where the cat, and I was the dumb bird?"  
  
"Well, in a little while I'm going to be the dumb something or other for not stopping this.but I'm finding it most difficult to stop this.you should have a warning label."  
  
"Oh really? And what should this warning label say?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet.but just so you know, you should have one."  
  
"Well.we'll have to discuss that later, Professor Snape." The voice behind them was cold, and unfeeling. It could obliviously be matched as Thalia's, "But right now, I think Alzan should return to her dormitory."  
  
"Bye Sev." Alzan whispered, jumping off of the table where she had perched herself some where amidst the flirtation.  
  
".Bye." It took him a moment to register what was happening.  
  
"Mr. Snape. I gather that YOU can explain what is going on here?"  
  
"Actually, Thalia.I can't." Severus shook his head.  
  
"Mmm.well then. I think you had better go to bed."  
  
__  
  
It was near three a.m., when there was quiet knock on Severus's door, and then a small pop.  
  
"Sev? Are you asleep?"  
  
He groaned, "What are you doing?"  
  
"I wanted to apologize for last night." Alzan leaned down next to him.  
  
"It's fine.GO back to bed." He yawned.  
  
For a moment he had thought she had left. That was only until he felt the bed sink down next to him. Alzan's arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she hugged him.  
  
"I didn't mean HERE, Alzan."  
  
Alzan giggled, "All the same.I'm not moving."  
  
Severus sighed, "It's to warm to be.to be."  
  
"To be what, Sev?" Her hands went down underneath the covers, "What is this warmth you speak of? I'm cold."  
  
"Alzan." He groaned.  
  
"Am I infuriating you, Professor?" She asked, sweetly, pushing away a lock of his sweaty hair.  
  
"Yes, very much so."  
  
"If you'd just.listen to me, maybe I wouldn't infuriate you so." She placed her head against his shoulder, one of her hands beginning to fondle him.  
  
"Oh god. I'm going to lose my job here if you don't stop it."  
  
Alzan smiled, "No, we wouldn't want that would we?"  
  
"No." He shook his head, "We wouldn't."  
  
"Well, we're just going to have to make sure no one finds out, huh?"  
  
"Oh god.don't do this to me." Severus shook his head, almost begging, "Go back to your dorm, and go to bed."  
  
"I wish I could Professor." She shrugged, "But I can't." 


End file.
